Path of Solitude
by maunderse
Summary: Naruto had nothing from the very beginning. He was always alone, cursed, hated, spat on. He swore to pursue happiness with every fibre of his being. To gain what he never had. Sasuke, he was born with everything. He had family, wealth, love, respect, talent. In a single night he lost it all. He swore to avenge those he lost and to regain happiness. They walked the same empty path.
1. Scars

Well, here we are again. I promised I'm not gonna drop this story, so I'm not. Been busy as all hell with work lately, but just got some free time, so decided to re-write these first five chapters and then to continue the story.

Basic Summary:

Naruto had a harsh and unfair childhood, but he never blamed Konoha. He came close, but never quite got pushed over the edge. What would happen if one single event pushed him too far?

Naruto experiences this harsh event, witnessing the suffering of those he loves. He swears to never forgive Konoha and decides he will someday leave to find a better home in the pursuit of happiness. Who knows, maybe someone will tag along with him...

Note: This is not a dark fic, just about Naruto exploring the world and life itself, from which he will experience much, learn even more, and come to understand life. And, eventually he will settle down, but where is the question.

And lastly, Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Naruto, those rights fall to the creator. The only things I own are of my own creation. And my T.v, Pc, six pack of coke, and comfy arse chair.

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><p>Naruto ran his hand through the blonde mop that was his hair; it felt sticky and wet, obviously from a hard days training, drenching him in sweat. He didn't really care that he looked as tired and ragged as he did, it showed he had worked hard, something to be proud of.<p>

He had always strove to be better than he was, to be better than the best. This could only be achieved by those who worked harder than anyone else, who strove for nothing but to be the best. He had done well in that pursuit, pushing his very limits; but, alas, it had not made his terrible life any better – in fact, it had made it worse.

Looking out across the village, he scowled; this was the village that had wronged him so. Throughout the years, all the ones that consisted of his short life, it had treated him like nothing more than dirt – worse, even.

At first it had been the orphanage – his parents had died the night of the Kyuubi Incident, leaving him alone – where they had neglected him in so may ways: not feeding him, beating him, poisoning him, not letting him near other kids (which also stunted his social development), not clothing him properly and not even cleaning him properly. And, with these forms of neglect, he had developed cases of illnesses – although, they had usually disappeared very quickly. Social retardation, general retardation, deprivation dwarfism, malnutrition and a large desire for attention that lead him to doing unsavory or even criminal actions to gain attention.

All in all they had fucked him up something rotten. Yet he hadn't truly suffered until he had been kicked out of the orphanage – yes, kicked out of a council funded institute by those 'magnanimous care workers.' Worst thing was he was only four.

So, at age four he had set off into the big wide world – or village, really. At first he hadn't known what to do (who would've when they were only four years old and retarded?), but he had quickly gotten into a routine of scavenging and stealing, developing a way to stay alive.

For two years he had lived on the streets, fending for himself from local gangs, eating the dirtiest of foods, sleeping outside on the most wet and cold of nights, and having absolutely no contact with people (unless you counted the ends of their fists or feet). Thus, he had gotten even worse intellectually, socially and by ways of physical health.

He had eventually found a piece of light amongst the darkness; the Sandaime Hokage had found him wobbling down the streets in tattered and torn clothes, smelling worse than the dumps and with the latest bloody lip.

"What happened to you, child?" he had asked in a worried tone, a concerned frown marring his features as he bent down to inspect him. Naturally he had flinched from human contact, too used to pain and suffering that usually accompanied it.

The old man must have realised then that he was scared of him. "Shh, don't worry. I will not hurt you, I swear," he had promised, voice soothing and low. "Tell me, what is your name? I will take you back to your parents."

Startled by his sudden warmth and kindness, he had no idea what do do other than comply. "N-N-Naru-ruto," he had stuttered, both still in fear and because he still did not know how to talk at the age of six, "Uzuu-m-mazi". He hadn't even realised he had said his own last name wrong - but the old man had.

He had watched as the Hokage's face distorted between so many emotions: shock, rage, kindness, sympathy. At first Naruto thought he was angry with him and had attempted to flee, but his strong hand had clasped Naruto's shoulder, not letting him run. "Wait, ma boy; I will not hurt you," he had swore again, voice so soft and kind it had enveloped him.

This one man, this one _human _being had offered him kindness. For the first time in his life, he felt the soft touch of a caring hand, and not the clenched fist of rage.

He had found hope amongst the darkness.

It had taken a while after that, but he had finally managed to piece together a sentence that resembled what he meant when the old man had asked him why he wasn't in the orphanage: "I was told not to come back; bad children had no home."

That day Naruto had found himself in the care of many masked men, who he would later find out were Anbu Black ops. For weeks he stayed there, learning how to speak, clean himself, cook, wash - all the things a normal person needed.

He had then been moved into an apartment, an old, run down complex that looked like it might collapse tomorrow. He hadn't complained, though; instead he had cried and thanked the old man with tears and sincerity that only a child could produce – a damaged one, but a child nonetheless.

And so, for the time being at least, he had lived happily, content in his peace. The Hokage visited regularly, dropping off his stipend, teaching him about social functions, more on how to speak and other things. Other days he would take Naruto out, to the park, Hokage Monument, Hokage tower, anywhere Naruto had wanted. It had been wonderful, having someone care for him.

He had gained more loved ones, aswell. The Ichiraku's, a small family of father and daughter who ran a small ramen stand, had accepted him and treated him with nothing but kindness. Most days he would go down there and order bowls and bowls full of ramen, just to stay and chat with them. Sometimes they even let him eat for free.

God, he hoped they were in a better place right now. They deserved Elysium.

He had joined the Academy for Ninja a year later, one year earlier than normal. It had been fun and boring at first, making new friends and learning crappy facts – knowledge was never his favourite thing, unless it pertained to physical prowess such as jutsu. Eventually, though, parents had sowed the seeds of hate within their children, starting from subtle warnings, a clever play on the pranks he did as a way of validation, and eventually just blunt demands that they no longer went near Naruto.

He was alone again... and bored. Very bored.

The days after that had been spent in immature stupidity and naivety. He started by trying to gain attention achieved through his horrendous, orange jump-suit and his childish pranks that had earned him the moniker of "Konoha's Prankster King From Hell."

Suffice to say, it had worked – just not the way he planned.

The beatings had come thick and fast from that point on. He could get beaten up by villagers or bullies at least once a week, sometimes twice or even thrice a week. It had been horrible, especially as he had not fully understood why it happened... but he had carried on. He could solve anything he wanted by just believing he could, believe it!

What a foolish notion.

Everything still had time to get worse, though. After this he had been determined to prove he was the best, even if the instructors neglected and sabotaged him. He grew to hate knowledge, for how could knowing that the Shodaime Hokage particularly hated tea even begin to help him win a fight? How foolish could he have been?

Very. He started hindering himself, making it easier for the civilians to get him, all because of his own arrogance. Knowledge was power, not physical prowess. Shinobi operated to different rules, but he had failed to understand. Failed to even see reality until it was too late.

His stupidity had eventually lead to the harm of others: the Ichiraku family. Because they had served and fed Naruto, when all other stores refused to, the civilians had taken it upon themselves to teach these "fools" a lesson. They had taken the two, Teuchi-oji-san and Ayeme-neechan, and had done things too them that no civilian should have ever had to face.

Afterwards, some people had handed themselves in, too ashamed of the crimes they had committed. Apparently, they were only supposed to scare the chefs, but their leader had made things take a much... darker turn.

They had 'asked' the family to stop serving the "Demon Child," but the family had stood steadfastly by their loyalty to Naruto – he wished they hadn't. From the odd pieces of what he had heard had happened to them, he swore he would never let the men who did that die a peaceful death. He never thought the two would go through torture for him and eventually die at the hands of those men.

That day Naruto had finally given in to the nagging voice at the back of his mind. "Revile them! Hate them!" it had whispered in his head, and so he had. He decided he would no longer love this village, no longer trust it; he would now move forward for himself, trust only himself and those who proved themselves, love only himself and those he chose to; no longer would he be the villages personal punching bag. _One day_, he had promised, _I will leave you all behind, I will seek my own freedom_.

He had changed shortly after - no longer did he prank, no longer did he wear that awful jump-suit, no longer did he refuse to learn. He was now the model student: silent, listened to every word, revised, practiced constantly, done all extra curriculum activities, and most of all, he learnt why.

He remembered that day perfectly...

"Who are you?" Naruto had asked calmly, coldly. He certainly wasn't as calm as he pretended to be.

The man in question looked at Naruto impassively, his features schooled to perfect stoicism. His unemotional expression, matched with the way he held himself, told Naruto a few things as he looked him up and down: he was an experienced Ninja, the way he walked looked more like the stalking prowl of a deadly hunter, silent and deadly; his posture was noble and regal, making it look as though everything else was below him; his red eyes with three tomoe marked the Sharingan, making him an Uchiha; lastly, the blood stained clothes showed he had recently killed.

"I am Itachi Uchiha. To answer your next question: I am here to tell you the reason behind your suffering all these years," he replied, ever so calmly; the blood that dripped from the ends of his clothes and sword did nothing to break said calmness.

Naruto kept his hand on the Kunai that was hidden amongst his clothes, but listened nonetheless. He didn't trust him, but he was intrigued by his last statement. "What would that reason be, and why would you tell me?" he asked skeptically. "You look more like my killer, and someone else's, covered in blood."

Itachi chuckled, it was dry and held no mirth. "You seem more calm than what you used to be like," he idly commented. "But, to answer your questions, I wish to tell you because we are the same".

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto chuckled this time. "Really? So you fear to walk the streets because you may be killed in broad daylight; you are shunned and hated; you wish for nothing but an escape?" he asked darkly.

He watched as Itachi looked at him, sizing him up, looking through him and his innermost workings; he would not admit it, but that look unnerved him more than the ones of hate and spite did. This look was far more dangerous than those. After a few moments Itachi seemed like he had seen enough, and so he threw down a scroll onto Naruto's lap.

"I meant we are the same in the fact that we bare a dark burden to protect Konoha, one that no-one else can; we are – or, in my case, will be – hated for; the way in which neither of us have the love that we want, but cannot attain," he replied ever so calmly, again – it seemed nothing could break his serenity, even talking about something that clearly had, or did, sadden him.

This time, though, it was Naruto who appraised Itachi in a different light. This man was far more complex than he thought. He had spoken of burdens, protecting Konoha, unattainable love and the ever present hate. Some of those things didn't even make sense, like how he was protecting Konoha?

"What do you mean by that, and what's the scroll for?" he asked pointedly.

Itachi turned around then and started walking of, sinking into that prowling step as he glided along the floor like a ghost, without a sound. "That scroll will tell you everything, and help you along. Goodbye, Naruto; I will see you again someday."

And like that he was gone, nothing but leaves in the wind as he disappeared.

For days Naruto had tried to build up the nerve to open up the scroll, he was scared about what he would find inside. Did he really want to find out why a village full of people hated him? He hadn't known, he especially hadn't liked the possibility that the villagers may have been vindicated by their vindictive nature. But he had no choice, he just couldn't not know why, it would kill him if he never knew why. So, after days of trepidation, he opened the scroll.

What he found inside of Itachi's scroll had solidified his utter hate for Konoha's older generation, he felt the urge to kill the people who had made his life so difficult. For weeks that feeling of rage would remain, never failing to leave his side like a faithful shadow. How could human beings be so shallow, so full of hate, so vindictive?

He had schooled himself, though, no reason to lose himself to rage and make things worse.

Reading the rest of the scroll he had found several seals. Apparently, Itachi had known that the Academy had been sabotaging him, or at least tried to. So, with that in mind, he had left compilations of basic knowledge.

These subjects had been difficult and easy in many ways: The Art of Stealth, which focused on techniques for reducing sound made with movements, how to 'blend in' with the environment, and how to leave as little of a trace behind as possible; throwing weapon techniques, motions for faster throws, places to aim for when throwing, how to create a diversion with thrown weapons; Academy Taijutsu, aswell as a unique version of Taijutsu called Kuiken (Fast Fist) a variant of Goken and Juyken that focused on fast and precise strikes that targeted the weak points of the body; and a large variety of other small, but helpful things.

The real topping on the cake, though, had been the three Chakra control exercises: tree climbing, water walking, and an exercise that focused on using chakra to make a solid object levitate off of the user's body by about an inch. For someone who had a vast amount of chakra and little control, it was worth more to him than any S-rank technique.

There had also been the basic elemental techniques that had been within the scroll: a water technique that converted large amounts of chakra into water within one's body, good for the fact that he could never die of thirst, but couldn't produce enough water for a water technique to be effective; a fire technique that could start a fire, useful for cooking food and starting fires to conserve heat; a wind technique that would disperse his sent, so no-one was able to follow him via smell; and lastly there was Shunshin, to help him learn how to send chakra to certain parts of the body.

All in all, Itachi had gifted him with useful knowledge that would one day save his life, and not just some flashy jutsu to make him feel cool. He doubted he would have been as good as he was now, had he not received this knowledge.

With the firm grounding in the Shinobi Arts that Itachi had gifted him, he soon claimed the spot at the top of the class, Rookie Of The Year. At first, most were surprised by this sudden turn of events, especially his new class that was the same age as him. Others were angry, like Sasuke who refused to lose to him and constantly challenged him.

Taijutsu spars were won with ease, his quick understanding of Kuiken allowing him to pick Sasuke apart. Ninjutsu was were he lost, but only just as he was unable to create a Bunshin due to his monstrous chakra reserves; Sasuke didn't feel as good about that victory when he had told him he was simply too powerful to do the Bunshin (In-fact, he clearly remembered how Sasuke had been a little... enraged). Shurikenjutsu and Kunaijutsu were a tie as both boys hit absolutely perfect - that didn't comfort Sasuke, though. And lastly was academics, Naruto got one-hundred percent on all written tests due to the only thing he did outside of school was revision and training.

But from rivalry came friendship, of a sort. He and Sasuke had spent hours, hours that became days that became months, practising together, sparring, learning. They had gained a sense of admiration for each other's tenacity to become better, to be the best.

They also realised how alike they were. Both loners, each with no-one to call friend nor family. They both walked the same path paved with their loneliness. They had become, though they would never admit it, friends. Best friends.

Over the years Sasuke had continued to push him harder and harder, furthering their skills to the point that they would have been Genin two years before the norm, had he been able to do the Bunshin - Sasuke wouldn't take the test until he passed as well. But, alas, it constantly evaded him, always slipping through his fingers at the last moments. Even now.

Yes, now, this present day, even as he found himself sitting atop the Fourth Hokage's head, looking out across Konohagakure no Sato, the village of the four most powerful Shinobi to ever live, and renown founders of the current Shinobi World. Through the dark night, he could see the lights of homes coming on as families arrived home, lights turning off as stores closed. It was beautiful, he had to admit, the calm serenity and warm glow the village gave off as it lit up.

But, through all his observations, one thing stood out above the rest; on the highest floor of the Hokage Tower, the lights to the Hokage's office went out as Hiruzen Sarutobi went home. It was now time for him to steal the 'Test Scroll', as Mizuki-teme had called it - he knew it was really the Forbidden Scroll of Seals. He did not let it show, though, as who was he to not trust his sensei?

He hadn't been fooled in the slightest as Mizuki-teme lied to him about the second test to pass for amazing students who couldn't do Bunshin, reserved for those who were exceptional but 'unlucky.' He knew that greedy and stupid teacher was planning on framing him, killing him and making his own escape.

Little did Mizuki realise that he was the puppet and scapegoat that Naruto would use to get what he liked, The Forbidden Scroll of Seals, and afterwards he could just blame Mizuki and say he believed his teacher. How could the old man not believe him, as sentimental as he was. Hell, the Hokage would let Naruto off with anything.

So, with a grin plastering his face, Naruto set off to steal something back from the village that had wronged him so, and he felt vindicated. Tonight would only be the start of the plans for his freedom, as he would soon escape this accursed nightmare that was his life, this corner of hell he called home. Soon, so soon he could taste it, he would break free from his shackles.

"Watch out world, soon you'll be meeting Naruto Uzumaki -dattebayo!"

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><p>Well, there you have it.<p>

I have tried to write a little differently to normal by recounting past events and adding as little speech as possible.

The key points to this chapter are largely obvious. Most of it is canon, showing Naruto's unfair and cruel childhood, even when he became a fool, but takes a different turn with Ayame and Tuechi. Their murder wasn't unrealistic, as I find it easy to see some hardcore Kyuubi haters trying to force them to abandon Naruto. And when they didn't, well how hard would it be for a few people to become enraged and to kill them? The Kyuubi did kill a lot of people after all.

Furthermore, I hope that my showing of Naruto's changes and meeting with Itachi were realistic and easy to understand. This was more random than anything, but adding another nice yet small twist. Itachi is a sympathetic character, despite his past, and he and Naruto do share similarities. Itachi just decides to help one person before he leaves Konoha, possibly to help his guilty conscience.

Other than that, the only thing that has changed is Naruto's outlook on life. He has gained a jaded and more worldly view of life.

Next chapter coming soon, so keep tuned.

Bye, and see you soon.


	2. Betrayal

Massively Edited On: 02/09/2014

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Betrayal <strong>

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><p>"Trust is the sound of a grave-dog's bark<br>Trust is the sound of betrayal in the dark  
>Trust is the sound of a soul's last breath<br>Trust is the sound of death."

Wheel Of Time - Robert Jordan.

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><p>The world had a way of telling you things, if you listened close enough, looked hard enough. If you paid attention, the world spoke.<p>

Tonight you'd hear only the whispering tail of the wind, the moaning of the trees, the chattering of the late night crickets. Leaves rustled as wind whistled through them, swaying them from side to side.

All the world could see was a dark but empty forest, nothing within sight or sound. It was deserted, peaceful, serene. Even the moon was hiding above a blanket of clouds, distinctly absent from the world.

If one paid attention, the world would be telling you that you were alone.

The world would be wrong.

In the outer-woods of Konoha, a black blur disappeared through the tree-tops, soundless in his movements, not a single branch making a noise as he landed and departed from it. He left no mark, fooling even the world.

The wind blew silently as he leapt from branch to branch, dispersing his scent, truly making it impossible to track his exact location. Although he supposed an Inuzuka would be able to follow his faded scent to a small degree.

Naruto couldn't help but to smile as he leapt thirty yards through the air, wind gusting over his face, through his hair and clothes. There was nothing like the thrill of bounding through the trees at insane speeds, nothing but your own judgement to keep you from missing and coming crashing to the ground.

He loved the thrill of the chase as well, so used to Anbu chasing him in his younger days. It had been good training and good fun. It certainly got his blood pumping.

Skilfully dropping to the ground in a silent crouch, he quickly studied the area, straining his ears and nose to find any traces of an approaching enemy. He found no-one. Deciding he was in the clear, he hefted the scroll off of his back and unfurled it.

He almost laughed at the irony of his situation. Konoha had ostracised him for years, taking away that which he valued most: companionship. Now though, he would be taking something they held extremely valuable: the Forbidden Scroll of Seals and its secrets.

Although he didn't laugh, he allowed a rueful smile to spread across his face. Revenge was wonderful.

Remembering why he was here, he did chuckle this time. Mizuki had been such a fool. He had thought himself so sly and above Naruto that he had grown careless. Really, the idiot had set a trap only to walk into his own.

Seriously though, what idiot thought he could convince anyone to steal something from the Hokage?

But, in Mizuki's attempt to use him, he saw opportunity to exploit him. So he had nodded his head and grinned as Mizuki explained the task to him, thanking him profusely for the 'second chance'. All the while though, he had been making plans of his own.

First was his location. He needed time alone with the scroll, time to learn its secrets. Plus, he didn't want to let Mizuki choose the location – it would be trapped to high hell. Instead, he'd choose his own location and set his own traps.

The location he had picked was about half an hour away from the location Mizuki had asked, and it had been perfect. It would take about an hour for Mizuki to actually reach the designated spot, after he had alerted the Hokage, of course. Then he would reach that area to not find Naruto there, and then he'd have to look for him like everyone else.

This was the tricky part, though, as he wanted Mizuki to find him first, and not some benevolent shinobi who felt like slaying the local 'Demon'. There was a fair chance the shinobi that found him would be one of the ones who disliked him for what he contained.

So he had left a small and feint chakra imprint at the location he was supposed to meet, then trailed it all the way to here. It was so small most shinobi wouldn't be able to find it, but Mizuki new exactly where to look. The Chunin would then follow it all the way here, into his trap. Obviously though, he had made it hard to track to buy himself some extra time.

His plan though, however perfect it was, was already in motion. He could sit around and admire it after he had done what he needed to, not during it. So he focused on the task at hand.

The scroll was an accumulation of a certain type of techniques, seals, and items. Despite what some people thought, it wasn't just a scroll full of techniques; it also contained seals and sealed items of vast power or danger.

Whatever ended up in this scroll only got there if it met certain... qualifications. Firstly, if it caused the user physical or mental harm just to use – this included suicide techniques. Secondly, if it required a vast amount of skill or power to use that even Jounin struggled to meet – S-rank techniques. Thirdly, was a highly valuable resource to the village and required a certain rank to be even considered for learning. Fourthly, it provided a humongous threat to not only Konoha, but the Elemental Nations.

Everything that went into this scroll was either incredibly useful, powerful, or dangerous – or even all three. Just to get placed into it, a technique, seal or item had to analysed and discussed by the Hokage and the council.

There was one other qualification for putting something within the Forbidden Scroll. Well, more of a tradition. A tradition that each Hokage put each and every one of their own techniques into the scroll, so as to aid the future kage of Konoha.

Quickly reading through each technique and description, he tried to store away as much information as possible on each one. He needed to decide which one would be the most beneficial to him - he didn't want to pick up some random technique that would do him no good.

Twenty minutes later he had read a majority of the techniques, ranging from suicidal jutsu, to powerful torrents of water and arcs of lightning created by the Nidaime, to complex illusions and creations of forests by the Shodaime, to seals and seal-less jutsu of the Yondaime, to devastating fire jutsu of the Sandaime. All of these priceless and powerful pieces of knowledge, and yet two things made him glad that he had went through with this.

He looked across the long scroll, his eyes locking onto one word, one name: Uzumaki. It took all of his concentration to not scream out in rage when he saw the long list of Uzumaki sealing techniques - _clan_ techniques. It didn't take him long to figure that out that Uzumaki was a clan name, especially seeing as every sealing technique within the scroll was labelled 'Uzumaki Fuinjutsu'.

Not only were there sealing techniques, but a whole myriad of techniques. He could definitely see some of them being extremely powerful, especially the water and wind based ones. Whirlpool shields that drained chakra from the attack and fed it to the user, wind dragons and water dragons, and so many more. But the techniques didn't end there, they just kept going.

Through his rage, though, it made him smile. He smiled for a simple reason; he had been betrayed by the last person he truly thought had loved him, had not lied to him, the Sandaime Hokage.

Why did he smile when he found out he had been betrayed by the last person he trusted?

Simple, really; he no longer felt he would be betraying the Old Man, the only reason that had made him feel bad about stealing from Konoha. He no longer thought that, though, now that the Old Man had betrayed him by not telling him about his own family. He could act freely now, no regrets, just a clean break.

It had been something he had been dreading, betraying the one person who had cared for him. The very thought had kept him up at nights. How could he betray the only family he ever had?

Now though, it seemed he could at least justify it. He no longer had any reason to hold off his plans or to even reconsider them. He was fully committed.

His eyes flicked to another name, this time a technique: Kage Bunshin. Unlike its weaker counterpart, the Bunshin, it didn't require the fine control and miniscule amount of chakra - it wasn't even an illusion. On the contrary, it required large reserves of chakra and very little control, and created a solid clone capable of dealing physical damage and using chakra. Perfect, for him.

But what made it special was a very unique ability: '_A characteristic that is unique to the Kage Bunshin is that any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user upon dispersing. The information returns to the user in the form of new memories._

_The technique is ideal for information gathering, since the user can simply send a clone to collect information, then have the clone disperse itself without returning to pass the information back to the user. It also reduces a large amount of danger as the user can scout an enemy stronghold, search for traps, or even fight enemies to gather information and never put themselves at risk._

_It is also useful for training purposes, since the total amount of experience the user gains is multiplied by the total number of clones being used to train. For example, if a user creates one shadow clone and trains together with this clone for one hour, then dispels the clone, the user gains two hours of training in one hour by adding the hours of the clone and user together._

_*Note: This can be used to train in fighting styles, hand to hand combat, throwing techniques and any other weapon technique. This is due to muscle memory, which we train with to help remember routines, kata and other motor function tasks. Most would believe this to be a physical aspect as it involves muscle, but is really to do with memorising the use and movement of muscle motors, which is a function of memory and thus trainable with the Kage Bunshin's memory retaining method._

_He couldn't believe his luck here. There __couldn't __have been a better technique for him out there. It suited him perfectly and would allow for him to not only take greater risks, but also to speed up his training exponentially._

_Plus its uses for once he left Konoha would be vast. He could train without the need for a sensei, would be able to throw trackers off of his tail by creating multiple copies of himself, could always have clones actively patrolling whilst he was asleep, and even could have them cook and gather food whilst he trained. _

_Their uses were so varied and vast it made it the perfect choice._

_He didn't let its pros fool him, though; this technique was in the Forbidden Scroll of Seals for a reason. Quickly scanning the more in-depth description of its uses and various tactics, he found what he was looking for. _

_'The Kage Bunshin, however, has a large drawback. This technique does not have a specific amount of chakra required to make a clone, because it simply splits the users chakra in half, dividing it amongst him and the clone. _

_The large danger comes into how many times the user can split his chakra into half before he no longer has enough chakra left to survive. If you split your chakra beyond what your body requires as a minimum to sustain itself, this technique results in instant death._

_Furthermore, the resulting feedback of memories can be overwhelming and can cause high mental strain. Like memories, mental fatigue can given back to the original. So, 5 clones worth of fatigue sent back to the original, plus his own, can cause large mental strain and even unconsciousness depending on the users strength._

He grimaced. It was a very large drawback, but the pros still far outweighed the cons. He'd just have to be careful with how many he used. Maybe even test his limits.

Reading more he discovered the average Chunin could make five and the average Jounin could make thirty. Knowing he had roughly a little bit more chakra than most Jounin, he guesses he could safely make twenty-five and thirty-five at a push. However, he wouldn't know until he tested it.

Though, he suspected he could use far more in a fight. In battle the clones would develop far less memories and accumulate less mental stress, allowing him to churn out far more without the worry of exhaustion.

Training, however, was something he'd have to be careful with. _Very_ careful, if he wanted to keep a healthy mind.

Quickly scanning through the instructions of creating a Kage Bunshin, he found it an easy technique to do, in theory. He simply had to take exactly half of his chakra and mould it into a solid form, using the principles for Henge would allow for him to create the image and size that made up his body, then he had to create a solid exterior by focusing some of the chakra to the outer perimeters of the clones body to reinforce it, also allowing the rest of the chakra to be safely contained, and lastly to use a small amount of Yang chakra to breath life into his creation.

Theory, though, was never simple to make reality. He found that out rather quickly. In-fact, he almost slapped himself for how naïve he was. A kinjutsu being easy to learn? He was being vain in his own skill again.

The first attempt had ended in a small explosion of pure force, blasting him off of his feet. Turns out containing something as powerful and dense as his chakra was a nightmare. So he focused more on strengthening the body to contain the loose chakra.

It hadn't worked. Instead, it exploded outwards again. God, he was already starting to hate getting blown off of his feet.

This time it had been because he had forced too much chakra into the edges of the body and compressed it too much. It had a similar reaction to what happened when you forced loads of gas into a tight space then compressed it. It exploded, harshly.

So, he realised he couldn't force more chakra into certain parts of the structure. It needed to be equally balanced throughout or it would explode. Again.

He realised then that he would have to not only create the body in a single moment, but he would also have to create the chakra network within the body at the same time so that there was no loose chakra trying to blow up.

After a few more attempts, he had created an identical replica of himself. Right down to the last detail, it was exactly the same as him. He even allowed a smug smile to grace his lips.

"Kinjutsu my ass. People obviously don't understand the magnificence of Naruto Uzumaki -Dattebayo!" He pumped a fist into the air in triumph, chuckling as well.

Turning to the clone, he ordered "Now create another clone."

Silence. The clone neither moved nor said anything. It didn't even appear to be breathing. Naruto's smile fell.

"Oi. Do something."

Again, it didn't respond or move. It just stared ahead, lifelessly.

This time he grew frustrated. "Tsk."

He marched over to the clone, inspecting it closer. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it. From what he could tell, everything was done correctly. So why wasn't it moving?

Frowning, he looked closer into its eyes, as if he might be able to look inside and see...

"Boo!"

"Ah!"

He fell backwards, landing harshly on his arse. Hurriedly he scrambled back onto his feet, ready to fight... only to see his clone holding his stomach as he laughed uproariously at him, tears streaming down its face.

"Ah-ha... Ah... oh, your face! You should have... Ah-ha... You should have seen it. You looked so stupid and scared!"

He... he had just been pranked by his own clone. The hell was going on?

"Your eyes were so wide... Oh, it was priceless!" The clone continued to laugh hysterically.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "Priceless, eh?"

The clone only had the briefest second to realise the danger he was in, his eyes widening in fear as his laughs fell silent. "Wait! Oof!"

His clone disappeared in a burst of smoke, grasping desperately at the knee buried in his crotch. Naruto savoured the look of pain on his clones face moments before he disappeared.

"Hah! Not laughing now, are ya?" He laughed maniacally at the deceased clone. "That'll teach ya to – Ahhhh."

Falling to one knee, Naruto grasped desperately for his nuts. The phantom pain of him kicking his clone in the nuts now bounced back to him. It was only a memory, but damn it hurt... God, he was gonna be sick.

"Arg... Fuck me. Never... doing that again."

He swore he heard a distant laugh from the back of his mind. Damn clone was mocking him.

Seriously though, it said it would copy the user's personality. That's what he _used_ to be like. He hadn't pranked anyone in years! Stupid jutsu goofed up.

Slowly he stood back up, careful not to move too suddenly. He knew he had received no real damage, but damn if it didn't feel that way. He'd be careful just in-case, either way.

"One last try before I give up on this jutsu," he growled menacingly. "Not once did you explode and knock me on my ass, but twice. Twice! Then, you goofed up and took my old personality and pranked me. And the you made me kick myself in the nuts!"

A cloud of smoke burst apart five feet away from him. The white smoke cleared away to reveal yet another copy of himself. This one, though, looked somewhat scared.

"Yo, bos-"

"Shut up." He silenced it instantly.

The clone started to sweat nervously, looking around for and escape. Unfortunately there was none. He was trapped with and angry teenage shinobi.

"Now, do what I say in this order then disperse, OK?" The clone shook its head in understanding. "Henge, Kawarimi, Shunshin, Kage Bunshin. Go."

Whether it was the way he was glaring like a madman of the way he gave the order, the clone completed his tasks as quickly as he could. In-fact, Naruto swore the clone was faster than he was.

Either way, it proved the clone was capable of performing jutsu at the same level he was. They had the same level of speed, efficiency and skill with chakra as he did.

Now he needed to test something else. "What's my favourite food?"

The new clone didn't even hesitate. "Ramen."

Satisfied with the simple and easy answer, he thought of another question. "When did I first meet the Old Man?"

This time it took the clone a second. "We were six and we met him whilst scavenging for food."

Again it was correct. However, Naruto was a little surprised to hear the personal infliction of 'we' and not 'you'. It seemed these clones had a definite self-awareness.

This time though, he wanted to try something different. "Last week I lost a book. It was one of my favourites. Where did I lose it?"

Now the clone looked stumped. He didn't respond, but looked to be thinking hard. It gave itself a few more moments before glaring at the original. "Hey! How the hell am I supposed to know where it is if you don't?" It shouted angrily, raising its fist.

He dispersed the clone.

So it looked like his clones knew everything he knew to the exact same degree he did. However, if he couldn't remember something then they couldn't either. Which was a damn shame. He wanted to know where the hell his book had went.

He spent another few minutes trying to get a better grasp on creating the clones, and within ten minutes could create it in a split second. He could even create five at once using the multiplication variant, Tajuu Kage Bunshin.

But, as he had previously, he now needed to focus on the main task: preparing for Mizuki's arrival. And what a... 'welcome' it would be!

Bringing his hand to his forehead, Naruto chuckled. It started with a small shaking of his body, then his body was racked with laughter. He couldn't believe how lucky he had been. No, this wasn't even luck. This was like some deity was helping him!

He had planned to take away a mediocre kinjutsu of Konoha's as revenge, but he had managed to take one of the greatest techniques he had ever seen. Well, utility wise, anyway.

This was all too perfect. For someone with a life with nothing but bad luck, he had just had more luck than any one person he had ever heard of. Truly, karma was a bitch, and today she was pissed with Konoha.

Looking at his clones, he smiled. "Well, get hiding."

* * *

><p>Sighing tiredly, Hiruzen let the breath draw out of him in a low whisper. His bony hand gently massaged his temples as he tried to work out some stress. It did little to alleviate the worry, though.<p>

Today had just been one of those days. The days were everything that could go wrong did, and then something else punched you in the jaw whilst you weren't looking.

His day had started normally enough. He had got up, washed, eaten, then walked to his office. He had stopped to chat with some of the store owners who were just starting to open up for customers. He had even got a fresh loaf of bread and some strawberry jam from Miss Kurugi.

Things had sharply went downhill once he started his days work, though. He had to deal with the usual paperwork: store owners quarrelling, the Hyuga wanted more land, complaints about crime in the poorer districts. The usual, really.

Then the tricky stuff started. Some of the minor clans of Konoha were making a political play and banding together to strike at some of the Hyuga owned businesses, to which the Hyuga had responded viciously. Now he had a large part of Konoha's economy trying to tear itself apart.

Suffice to say he had drawn up a new law to stop this sort of thing and had sent letters to the Clan Heads involved. The letters had been fairly polite, but had conveyed an underlying threat should they choose not to decease from their foolishness.

To top everything off, though, the Daimyo's Minister of Finance had demanded Konoha open up for more trade with other nations. Apparently the village wasn't making as much money via import and export as it could. In no small detail he had responded to the Minister's demand with a letter explaining the function of a shinobi village. He'd also mixed in a few insults and threats, but had of course done it... politically.

And then there had been Naruto. His amazingly talented grandson had failed the academy again. He had been saddened, but not overly so. He had already known he would fail the Bunshin again and was planning on having him promoted anyway. After all, he was one of the most talented children he had ever met. He decided he'd tell him tomorrow.

In-fact, he had planned on getting together a few gifts together for Naruto. He'd be ecstatic to pass, but the way his face lit up whenever he got a gift always made his wrinkled face smile. He always seemed so happy and innocent. He looked like a normal child, if only for a moment.

There was also the topic of the Fox... not to mention his parentage. He couldn't believe it was that time already. Naruto was just too mature for his own good, too intelligent to not be told.

He was starting to fear he had held off telling Naruto the truth for far too long.

So, he had decided tomorrow everything would come out. The whole truth would be told and Naruto would finally gain an identity. He would know who he truly was.

He had left the office hating the day but looking forward to tomorrow. He had walked home with a smile though, seeing fathers and mothers walking their children home. He saw neighbours and good friends sharing tales over a drink at the local bar. He watched as the elderly sat in rocking chairs, looking out at the setting sun and watching it fall, yet they smiled as they watched the rise of a happy new generation.

It reminded him of why he bore the burden of Hokage. It was that peace he protected. The smiles of innocent children who had a future ahead of them. It was for the shinobi and civilians who had lived through three Great Wars who deserved peace and happiness. It was for the hope, love and dreams of every human being under his care.

Arriving home he had prepared for bed, got a book to read – a thrilling novel written by a young Konoha shinobi – and got comfortable.

It wasn't long until his day went from bad to awful.

He had gasped in shock as the seal on his wrist came to life, burning his arm with a brilliantly scorching heat. In an instant he deactivated it and was on the move. The minute or so it took for him to get dressed into his battle attire, strap on his shin and wrist guards were spent planning out what to do in the coming hours.

That seal had been coupled to the safety mechanism around the Forbidden Scroll of Seals, designed to burn him the moment it left its pedestal without the safety seals being removed. It was incredibly painful, but it was there to alert him even if he was asleep.

He had arrived at the tower and examined the video footage to catch only a glimpse of a black clad figure. His hidden chakra seals, though, showed the foreign chakra in the room belong to the resident Jinchuuriki, Naruto Uzumaki.

_Why? _It had been his first thought. Why would Naruto steal the Scroll form _him _of all people?

Thinking about it though had made things entirely clear. Naruto shouldn't have even known the scroll existed, even less where it was. That meant somebody had told him where and how to get it.

Who was his accomplice, though? That too had been narrowed down quickly. It had probably been someone who could offer Naruto something he wanted, like a promotion to Genin. Coupled with the fact that he knew one of the teachers at the Academy were supplying an enemy with information, he had narrowed it down to a teacher of Naruto's.

That meant a teacher was trying to manipulate Naruto from behind the scenes, to use him to achieve his goals whilst he got away clean and free. That person was probably going to kill Naruto at the trade-off as well.

He had acted fast. A message had gone out to all Jounin within the village to locate and protect Naruto and the Scroll should they be found. No Chunin were to even be notified about the search, as a Chunin was suspected to be the culprit for an S-rank crime and treason.

As such, if any Chunin was out and claimed to be searching for Naruto Uzumaki or a stolen scroll, they were to be captured alive. The protection of Naruto and the Scroll however took higher priority, and all Jounin were told this was an S-rank mission.

Anbu were given orders to form a perimeter around the village in-case Naruto or the teacher attempted to leave the village, whilst some squads searched the surrounding areas outside of the village for any enemies.

With this he hoped to protect Naruto and trap the enemy within their own trap. The only problem was, was it too little too late?

"Naruto," his tired voice filled the lonely room, "please be safe."

* * *

><p>Looking around at the small glade, he was happy with the open area in the middle of a ring of trees. The clear view of his clone pretending to read the Forbidden Scroll would entice Mizuki into attacking.<p>

Giving one last check, he examined all of his traps. They were all armed and assembled correctly. Each one was designed to cover a certain area, so that he always had a fail-safe.

His clones were all in position, hiding amongst the trees, in the ground and even in bushes. The traps and clones provided a perfect perimeter around the glade, both to ambush Mizuki from all sides and prevent his retreat.

All that was left now was for the man in question to find his clone, take the bait and attack.

"Come on. Hurry up, you bastard."

Though the silver-haired teacher was taking a damned long time to get here. He should have been here thirty minutes ago at the least.

But, like a true shinobi, he remained still. Even the slightest movement could make noise and alert Mizuki - if he was even near. For now, he'd just have to wait.

It didn't take much longer though. His teacher was spotted running towards his location at a rather slow speed, being careful not to be seen and equally trying to look for someone or something. The clone had dispersed itself a minute or so after seeing him, meaning he'd be here in three or four minutes.

Naruto, however, was now largely concerned. Why was Mizuki being so cautious... he couldn't possibly know that Naruto was going to double-cross him, could he?

_'Ah shit.'_ Maybe leaving a trail of his chakra to another location had been a little too circumspect. That or Mizuki was far more careful than he had given him credit for.

Well, the best laid plans often fell apart. So he would just have to improvise if anything went wrong. He was glad he had brought along those back-up explosive tags.

Pulling out a pack of explosive notes, Naruto set about quickly placing them around the grove. He also handed a few to his clone. Maybe Mizuki would be stupid enough to actually get close to him.

He let himself smile at the thought of blowing the treacherous teacher into tiny pieces. So did his clones. He wasn't sure if it was the way their hair covered their eyes or the elongated canines or even the moon sitting menacingly behind them, but they looked damned insane...

He supposed he must have as well.

* * *

><p>Mizuki couldn't believe how quickly everything had gone wrong. His plan had been perfect. But now he was having to be as cautious as possible because that old fool had reversed his trap on him.<p>

He thought he had been in the clear, safely heading towards the designated meeting point with Naruto. Then a Jounin had spotted him and asked what he was doing out at this time.

Quickly explaining the situation to the man, he thought he had been so sly. That was until the other man tried to cut his head off with a freaking sword!

The Jounin, who he then recognised as Hayate Gecko, explained that the Hokage had order all Jounin to search for Naruto and to apprehend any Chunin who even knew about tonight's incident. Especially any Academy teachers.

In that moment he had very nearly lost it and activated his Tora no Juin, but had managed to restrain himself. The amount of chakra it released just in its first stage would have brought every Jounin with five miles down on him in seconds.

No, he needed to avoid drawing attention and finish Hayate off quickly and quietly. Then get to the Kyuubi brat as fast as possible.

It had been easier said than done, though. Hayate was known to be a damned prodigy with a blade and he more than lived up to the reputation. He had been on the defensive from the very beginning.

He had been lucky, though. Incredibly lucky. Hayate had been about to finish him off when two passing Chunin had interrupted and attacked the Jounin, believing him to be a traitor attempting to strike down a lonely Chunin teacher.

They had never considered he, the Academy teacher, was the traitor. He was actually thankful for his title for once. It was ironic; saved by the thing he hated the most.

Hayate had tried to explain himself, reluctant to wound his comrades. They didn't buy it, though. His excuse was too flimsy.

"The Forbidden Scroll was stolen, but Hokage-sama requested no Chunin be told!" he had pleaded.

Whilst Hayate had been reluctant, he hadn't. He had thrown one of his giant shuriken straight through the back of one of the men that had saved him. The blade had cut him clean in two before slamming into an unsuspecting Hayate.

The other Chunin had stood frozen, looking at his dead and dying comrade in horror. He had probably realised he had been wrong. He turned around too late, twin kunai slamming into his skull.

He had pulled the kunai out of the Chunin's skull, casually walking up to the severely wounded Jounin. He smiled devilishly as he twirled a kunai round his finger.

"You lose, Tokubetsu Jounin Hayate Gecko."

Breathing harshly, Hayate stared back at him in defiance. It appeared he had been able to partially deflect the giant shuriken, pushing it to the right and into his shoulder. It had probably saved his life, but it didn't matter as it had pinned him to the wall.

Hayate's sword clattered uselessly to the floor. He probably didn't have the strength to hold it. His arm was nearly detached at the shoulder. He had fixed that, though, tearing the shuriken out and taking the man's arm off along with it.

"Any last words?" He had asked. Hayate said nothing.

He had cut his head clean off.

Afterwards he had kept well clear of any other shinobi, sticking to back-alleys and treetops. It hadn't taken long for him to reach the meeting location and realise Naruto had been and gone.

It appeared the brat had sensed some Jounin searching for him or something, because he had taken off towards Konoha's village border. Clever brat had made sure to avoid anyone other than him.

Naruto sure seemed to determined to pass this test. He would have to... reward him, for all his hard work and all that crap.

He laughed maniacally, slinging Hayate's sword over his shoulder. He'd make sure to put it to good use.

* * *

><p>Mizuki would be here any second now. That meant he would be fighting the man within the next minute.<p>

It was strange, he realised. At no point had he worried about the fight. It was just another part of the plan. One with variables, but still part of the plan nonetheless. It was just another detail.

But as the moment of conflict grew nearer, he couldn't help but feel nervous. This was his first life or death battle. Any mistake could surely be his last. Hell, even _if _he made no mistakes, if Mizuki was better than him he'd probably die.

His hands were clammy, his heart was beating a hundred times a second, his stomach felt so empty. He felt like he was going to be sick.

His shaky hand gripped his kunai tightly, he tried to still his hands, to even out his breathing. This was no time to panic. He couldn't _afford_ to panic.

"Come on, Naruto. Calm the hell down," he whispered to himself.

It didn't help. It was just so damned daunting. He could die if he wasn't...

The clone beside him punched him. Hard. His head shook with the impact, bouncing to the side harshly. That was definitely going to bruise.

"Ah, what the hell!"

The clone simply held a finger to its lips. "Shh," he glared at it, "you were panicking, so I knocked some sense into ya."

The fact that it was smiling happily showed it had enjoyed hitting him. He was starting to hate his clones.

"Tch, don't do it again, asshole."

The clone merely smiled back. It had helped and he knew it. He needed some sense knocked into him. But he wouldn't thank someone if he could help it, not even himself.

He counted the seconds as they waited, staring out at his clone in the middle of the glade. The bush he was hiding under blocked a fair amount of his view, but he could still see most of the clearing.

The counting, he found, helped keep his mind off of the battle and more on track. Slowly the butterfly feeling in his stomach disappeared and he sighed in relief. At least he wouldn't be sick any time soon.

His clone nudged his shoulder and pointed at something. He had to gently move a branch out of the way to get a better view of what it was the clone was pointing at. It was Mizuki, he realised.

Standing in all his stupidity was the fool himself. It looked like the man was going to approach his clone and not kill him from the shadows, the idiot.

"He's hurt."

His clones whisper was barely audible, even to him. But he glared at it nonetheless. He didn't know how good Mizuki's sense were, and didn't want to let him know he was surrounded.

Looking closer though, he realised the clone was right. Mizuki had bloody red slashes and cuts all over his body. It looked like he had been in a fight with thorn-bush and lost, badly.

"Well done, Naruto. You got the scroll," he congratulated with a friendly smile, "but did you manage to learn a jutsu?"

His clone turned around at the sound of Mizuki's voice, pretending as though he hadn't heard him approach. The clone smiled brightly at his sensei.

"Yo, Mizuki-sensei. Whoa, you look like crap," his clone exclaimed, looking Mizuki over with wide eyes. "What happened?"

"Tch," Mizuki's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, "some stupid rogue Jounin tried to steal some village secrets. I stopped him."

_Must be real proud of that excuse, Mizuki-baka. _Really though, he had just added a small twist to what was really going on.

The clone went wide-eyed. "Oh? You're awesome, sensei -dattebayo!"

The silver-haired Chunin just chuckled. "Thanks, Naruto. But I wonder if you managed to learn a jutsu, so tell me."

_He seems awfully persistant about wanting to know if I learned a technique or not, _he thought with a frown. _Why?_

"Did I learn one?" the clone asked, a little dumbfounded. "Uh, yeah. Sure."

Mizuki actually looked quite surprised at that. It seemed he hadn't actually expected him to learn one. Then, the teacher smiled menacingly.

"Good. If a brat like you can learn one, then I must be able to learn all of them!" he shouted, laughing maniacally.

The clone didn't react to Mizuki's outbreak. He just stood and waited until the man had cooled off. "Well, I suppose so, sensei. Though do you mind if I ask you something?"

Smiling, he nodded his head. "Sure. Why not? You deserve a... 'parting' reward, I suppose." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Who are you working for?"

Mizuki stopped laughing. His smile left his face. Then man was instantly on guard, readying himself into a defensive stance. A kunai appeared in each of his hands, each held in a reverse grip.

"How did you know about that, brat?" he asked sharply, growling as he spoke.

His clone stopped goofing off as well, lowering itself into the all too familiar Kuiken stance. Left leg back, right leg forward, right arm extend whilst the left one was held close to the body.

"Come on, sensei. Did you think I was really that stupid? Stealing the Forbidden Scroll is an S-rank offence. Treason." The clone glared angrily at him, hair shading his eyes. "You were using me as bait. You betrayed me!"

The Chunin barely flinched at his tone, instead he smiled. "Yes, I did. But, if you're so clever, why did you steal the scroll anyway?"

"Because, I want to go with you."

Mizuki blinked. He stared at the clone in surprise. "You want to betray Konoha?"

The clone eased himself out of his stance, lowering his guard. He folded his arms over his chest. "Why not? Konoha does nothing but abuse me. It shuns my vary existence. Spits on me when I walk by. Whispers about me when they think I cant hear." He looked at Mizuki, tears forming in his eyes. He swept his hand through the air. "Why should I protect Konoha? Why?" he whispered, a lone tear falling from his eye.

They stood there in silence. Mizuki seemed taken aback by the raw emotion in his admittance. For a few moments he seemed to take it in, almost weighing it up. Then he smiled ruefully.

"And what do I care, brat. You'll just be another burden. And what's to say my master will even accept you?" The Chunin pointed at him, a vicious smile covering his face. "Face it, no-one wants you."

The real Naruto flinched at that, glaring daggers at the back of the man's head. _Oh, you'll pay for that, ya bastard. _

Naruto's clone flinched, another tear falling from its face. It was keeping the performance up. "Jackass..." the clone wiped the tears from its eyes. "What about your master. I'm sure he'd reward you for bringing him a Jinchuuriki. In-fact, I'm sure he'd give you anything you bloody wanted!" He shouted, the clones anger showing.

"Ha! Like he'd want a... want a weapon of mass destruction..." Mizuki tapered off with wide eyes, seemingly coming to the realisation that he had lead him to. "That's," he swallowed a lump in his throat, "bloody perfect."

His Sensei's eyes seemed to dance with new light at the prospect. Obviously he was thinking about all the wealth and power that would be given to him for bringing a Jinchuuriki to his master. His plan was working.

His clone coughed, getting the attention of the Chunin. "But, I want to know one thing if I am going with you," his clone stated with all serious, his tone brokering no argument. "I want to know who you work for. I am obviously not going to work for some random idiot."

Mizuki straight up laughed. He simply just exploded into laughter. "Oh, brat. You best watch what you say. My master is Orochimaru of the Sannin, leader of Otogakure no Sato," Mizuki looked his clone in the eyes, freezing him with a deadly smile, "and he's no fool."

Orochimaru... That wasn't good. That was really not good. There was no way someone of his power and skill would send someone to steal the Forbidden Scroll if he wasn't strong. He must have underestimated Mizuki.

Shit, he needed to stop his clone before he...

The clone smiled at Mizuki, though nowhere near as friendly as before. His canine drew down into sharp, vicious points, his eyes were sharp and glaring through him with a predatory gaze, his hair shadowing his face.

"Thanks and goodbye, Mizuki-baka."

His eyes widened, his hand reached out. It was too late to stop it.

The clone exploded. The explosion was far larger than he had anticipated, blowing him and all of his clones away and out of hiding. A few trees were blasted off of their roots, flying into other trees and tearing them down, too.

Heat and compressed air smashed into him and the clones, tearing at the trees and ground, scorching the bark of the nearest ones. Shards of wood flew through the air mixed with fist sized clumps of earth.

He tumbled through the air, struggling to regain his balance. Barely in time he managed to right himself, twirling round and landing on a tree branch in a crouched position. Quickly he prepared, bracing himself and covering his face with his arms.

A second later he was smashed by a large blast of air, again, shortly followed by bits of wood and earth. He felt them bombard against him relentlessly, wood gouging into, tearing across his body, earth simply and brutally battering him with merciless punches and body blows. It was agonizing, but he grit his teeth and bared with it.

Finally the assault on his body stopped. He slowly lowered his arms, wincing as he did. They had been battered and torn apart, much like the rest of his body. Looking down at himself, he could only think of one thing.

_I fucked up. Badly. _

He coughed suddenly, violently spewing blood out of his mouth. It flowed down his chin and onto his shirt, staining it a dark red. His vision blurred and his legs started to shake. He felt weak.

He passed out.

* * *

><p>You could understand a lot from the way a man walked. By observing every nuance, you could write a book with the amount of detail a simple step held.<p>

For instance, those who were still awake and unfortunate enough to be at the hospital would have the rare occasion of seeing the Hokage walking through the white hallways. Although, they all realised something was off.

The way he walked with his head down, the Hokage hat shadowing over his his face, arms folded behind his back, left the impression he did not want to talk, did not want to be stopped. The air seemed to radiate with self-imposed silence.

He marched quickly, powerfully, yet not too quickly. He wanted to arrive somewhere fast, but he wanted time to himself before he got there. He had a clear purpose.

Also, there was how he did not ask for directions nor did he look at the wall-mounted maps to find his location. He navigated the maze like halls with the experience and expertise of someone who had, had the miss-pleasure of being here many times before. He new his destination.

All in all, if you looked you could tell Hiruzen Sarutobi was a man who knew his destination, his purpose, and that he was not to be interrupted.

So he walked in relative piece, nobody offering their usual greetings or getting in his way as they knew he was busy.

It didn't take long navigating the sterile white hallways before he arrived at the door he had been looking for. It was a medical room held for important shinobi or informants that required immediate medical treatment to pass along important information.

Tonight it was looking after Naruto.

Stopping outside the door, he waited for a moment collecting his thoughts. He had no doubt this would be a serious conversation and was getting ready to balance his duty and family. He hoped Naruto would likewise treat this as it needed to be.

For a moment, he allowed himself wonder when he had gotten so used to treating family like soldiers, but he didn't dwell on it too much. It was something he knew he would be doing before he accepted the title.

"You gonna keep standing there like a lemon, old man, or are ya gonna come in," Naruto joked from inside the room, his voice faint and weak.

Hiruzen chuckled as he opened the door, the white interior as blinding as the hallway outside. Naruto was laying in a single bed, the back held upright so that he could sit up. He was still covered in bandages, only his face free of them.

"Good evening, Naruto-kun. How are you?" He smiled warmly, taking off his hat as he pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down.

Naruto laughed, looking down at his bandaged body. "I feel like I've been on the receiving end of a Katon/Futon collaboration jutsu." He grimaced. "Seriously, I have burns and cuts everywhere. And I do mean ever-"

He raised his hands. "I get the point, Naruto."

The blonde sighed. "Who knew explosive tags packed that much of a punch?" He asked himself.

Frowning, he looked Naruto in the eye before sighing tiredly. "You had not even practised with them beforehand, had you?"

"Urm... no?" the blond chuckled nervously, using one hand to scratch behind his head. "I read they had the rough explosive area of twenty to thirty meters each. I kinda forgot to add the multiplied force into the equation if I added extra tags."

"Dear lord," he used tips of his fingers to massage his temples. He could feel a headache coming on already. "What do they even teach you at the academy these days?" He asked himself.

Naruto, however, answered. "Not much, old man. You forget that I always had problems with my teachers, or are you just senile?"

There was that. Had he actually forgotten that Naruto used to be on the receiving end of a lot of sabotage and neglect? What's more, had it ever stopped? He'd probably never know.

"I told you to tell me if they ever started doing that again," he told him sternly. "How can I look out for you if I do not know what is going on?"

Knowing he was right, the child looked away from his stern gaze. Despite that, though, Hiruzen did not mean it. Naruto had always been prideful and hated asking for help. He preferred to fix his own problems.

Softening his glare, he put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "My boy, you know you can always talk to me? Do not let your pride cloud your judgement. I have seen many friends do it in the past and they are mostly all dead. Trust in others, trust in me."

Sighing, Naruto sat up from his bed, swinging his legs over the side and sat facing him. The way his eyes skittered about and how he refused to look him in the eyes showed the aged kage that he was uncomfortable with this.

He didn't say anything for a while, but eventually he looked up. "I've put my trust in multiple people in the past, yet who is there that hasn't betrayed it?" Now they looked into each others eyes, Naruto's azure blue sparkling with sincerity. "The teachers? They sabotaged me. The villagers? Ask Ayame and Teuchi-ojisan how that went. The shinobi? Mizuki's a great example. The children? Parents have corrupted them. So who, who is there left to trust?"

The tear that streaked down Naruto's cheek said it all. He hadn't shed a single tear since the Ichiraku's died. He had sworn he wouldn't ever cry again, he remembered overhearing the young blond make that vow.

So he knew how much this really hurt his grandson.

He pulled him close, his old arms wrapping around Naruto and pulling him into a tight embrace. One hand rested on his back whilst the other gently pushed his head onto his shoulder. He held him tightly, not letting him pull away.

"Naruto, you can always, _always_, trust me. I will never betray you, I promise. We _are _family."

He pushed Naruto back top arms length, his hands resting on the blond's shoulders, and he looked into his eyes. "I will always trust you as well, Naruto. Because that is what _family _do." He smiled and gently ruffled his hand through the boy's hair.

Naruto didn't say anything for a little while, he merely sat in silence, looking down at his feet. The grandfather wondered what his grandson was thinking, but decided to wait and give him some time.

Eventually, as he knew he would, Naruto looked up. His eyes still held that deep sense of sadness, but his smile brightened the entire room. It seemed he had gotten over his moment of pain.

Hiruzen realised that, that sadness might never go away. The past would forever scar him, but the future was always open and full of potential. One day, Naruto would find happiness. He prayed that he would.

"Hey, ya old git, can I ask you something?" He smiled cheekily at that, sticking his tongue out.

Now, from years of experience with children, he knew that they often asked difficult and hard questions after times of pain or loneliness. However, he knew that this next one would be important.

After all, Naruto had been waiting years to ask it.

"Before you ask, I will tell you this," he said seriously. "I will not answer _that _question here. I will, however, tell you about _them _sometime this week when I come round to your flat, I promise. How does that sound?"

His grandson smiled brightly in response, his large grin splitting across his face and eyes lighting up with joy. He supposed it was no surprise, as this was the single most important thing Naruto ever wanted to know – other than who Inu really was.

"Yes! Finally! I can't believe I'm finally gonna know -dattebayo!"

The blond jumped forward, this time the one to initiate the bone-crushing hug. He chuckled as he held his grandson, happy to see him excited and smiling for what felt like the first time in years.

In-fact, the youth's raw energy and excitement was intoxicating. It felt like he had suddenly grew younger, stronger, healthier, like the world had been lifted from between his shoulder blades.

Smiling, he decided to add the proverbial cherry on top. "And, if you make me some nice tea, I suppose I will tell you who Inu is as well."

Naruto stopped still for a moment. A frown now burrowing down his brows. "You just want me to cook you dinner, ya lazy old fart!" he growled through his teeth.

"And? It is called a deal, Naruto-kun. You might want to start getting used to the concept. Shinobi make lots of deals."

Naruto's eye twitched. "Like I said, you're just being a lazy old fart."

Hiruzen smiled, chuckling innocently. He did so enjoy winding his grandchildren up, the blond was just so funny. He made a mental note to visit Konohamaru some time soon.

Standing up, he walked over to the kettle. As a VIP room, there was an en suite, a kitchen, and even a television. It was a cosy little room, other than the awfully bright white.

"Tea, Naruto-kun?" he asked over his shoulder.

"I suppose so."

He pulled two cups out of the cupboard, setting them down next to the kettle. He put a tea bag in each and filled the kettle with water before turning it on.

"Sugar?"

"Two, please."

He added two spoonfuls of sugar to each cup before putting it away.

So far things had not gone as he had wanted, but now he needed to get the serious stuff out of the way. Naruto would have to understand he had a job to do as well as his role as a grandfather.

"I hope you understand that we must now move on to more serious matters?"

There was a moment of silence before Naruto replied. "Of course. I am a shinobi as well."

He smiled to himself. It looks like Naruto was starting to develop into a man, both physically and mentally. He was proud of him. He always would be.

"You stole an S-ranked item that is imperative to Konoha's continued welfare, risked losing said item to an enemy nation, stole and learned a kinjutsu without authorisation, attempted to kill a Konoha shinobi without permission from a superior, used high-grade explosives within Konoha and without clearance from a superior, endangered the lives of civilians, and caused the death of a Jounin and two Chunin."

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Naruto had went rather pale and wide-eyed. Apparently he hadn't known about the deaths. That or he just realised how serious this was.

He took a deep breath before continuing. "The usage of the Forbidden Scroll and learning the Kage Bunshin I can forgive – who uses the Scroll is purely at the Hokage's discretion – as I can also forgive attempting to kill Mizuki, using the explosive tags and endangering the lives of Konoha citizens – only because none died, mind you."

He picked the kettle up and started to pore the steaming hot water into the two cups. Once they were nearly full he placed it back onto its pedestal. Opening the fridge, he got out the milk and finished making both cups of tea.

Giving them a quick stir, he took them over to were Naruto was. He placed both on top of the bedside table. Naruto picked his up and held it in both hands.

His grandson, however, continued to stare at his feet. Possibly too scared or too ashamed to look up.

Sighing, he rubbed his forehead. That headache was coming back. "The others, however, are very serious indeed. Your answers to my questions will severely change what punishment you receive."

Naruto flinched slightly when he mentioned punishment, but took a sip of his drink to calm himself.

"Firstly, why did you steal the Scroll?"

Naruto was silent for a while. In-fact, he took so long that he nearly re-asked the question, but the blond just placed his drink down and looked him in the eyes. It appeared he had come to terms with the fact he would now have to face his actions.

_Well done, Naruto-kun. A lesson all men learn is that they must answer for their actions. _

"After finding out I had failed the exam, again, Mizuki told me about another test to pass and become a Genin. After listening to it, I realised he was trying to use me to steal the Scroll and take the blame."

Hiruzen thought on it a moment, before asking: "Then why did you steal it, knowing that it was a crime and would endanger Konoha? Why not tell a superior?"

His grandson just smiled sadly. "I don't mean to revisit old topics, but trust. I didn't seek out my superiors because I didn't trust them. My teachers sabotaged me, one was trying to get me killed, and add to the fact that I have been treated unfairly by this village all my life lead me to believe people would side with Mizuki, not me."

Looking at it as a grandfather, it hurt to hear that, but as the leader of a military organisation it infuriated him. This was why there needed to be trust between officers and subordinates, otherwise the chain of command would be broken.

It did not exempt Naruto from blame, yet, but it did sit more in his favour. He could argue to the council that it had been the failing of the citizenry and shinobi of Konoha that had caused this situation and not Naruto. No, he was just a by-product of their mistake.

"When drawing Mizuki out of the village, where you acting in your own interests, or that of the village?"

The blond opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it. He seemed to think about it for a while, brows furrowed in concentration, before he answered. It was an important answer.

"Honestly?" He asked with a laugh. "Both. I hated Mizuki and thought of him as the embodiment of all those that had wronged me in the past and wanted to take revenge on him. I wanted to kill him for all the pain everyone had caused me."

The Hokage just sat there silently observing him. He had expected him to lie, given the chance, and to act like the hero. However, he did not. He told the truth.

It took someone of real courage to admit that, especially to their leader. Some might say it took a fool. He, however, smiled when he heard it. Naruto was growing up.

Although, he again saw the burden that was tearing at Naruto. An unfair burden. It was tearing him apart, not knowing who to trust and hating those he should be able to depend on.

The failings of a whole village...

"But, at the same time, I didn't want some idiot to bring danger to Konoha. That would mean all the people who had done me no wrong, all of the new born and unborn children would be in-danger for someone else's mistakes." Again, he smiled sadly, looking off to the side. He must have been thinking. "It would be unfair."

_So, you decide to look beyond your hate as well, Naruto-kun. You do not seek to blame the innocent for the failings of the guilty. _He smiled gently, never taking his eyes off of Naruto. _You have a good heart – a strong heart. I hope you never let it falter. _

Sitting up he clapped his hands together, startling Naruto. "And lastly, the final question. Did you do anything that might benefit the village?" He looked Naruto in the eyes, deciding to give him one last piece of advice. "Even the smallest thing can sway the argument into your favour. Remember, as a shinobi village, we hold information as a very valuable asset."

Naruto smiled, eyes shining. "That one's easy, old man. Of course I got some good information."

Hiruzen smiled back. "Good, Naruto-kun. Then tell me what it is."

"Orochimaru. He worked for Orochimaru."

The old kage sucked in a sharp breath. He had expected Kumo, not Orochimaru. Kumo had played many underhanded tricks like this in the past, so it would make sense. If not them, then probably Iwa. But he never expected Orochimaru.

It was also terrible news. If Orochimaru had started targeting Konoha, he had a real security problem. His student knew Konoha like the back of his hand. He didn't know anything about Konoha's current security systems, or exactly how they operated, but he knew enough about them that he could have a damn accurate guess.

Worse though, was that he must have been planning something. Something big. Orochimaru wanted current and accurate information on Konoha, so he must have been planning to do it soon. Very soon.

He had to start planning now. If Orochimaru was successful in his goal, he was positive it would end badly for Konoha – possibly even the world.

"There's more." Naruto spoke up, getting his attention again. "He was apparently, according to Mizuki, the founder and leader of Otogakure no Sato."

His mouth was suddenly dry. So was his throat. He felt like he could barely breathe. This was terrible. In-fact, this was quite possibly as bad as another Great Shinobi War. Possibly worse.

Orochimaru, his twisted and psychopathic student had a hidden village at his disposal. The only thing he could imagine as worse news was that Madara Uchiha was alive and kicking and had an army of S-ranks at his disposal.

He would have to prepare the council. War was on the horizon, Orochimaru was at the border, and fear was besieging his heart. There was so much to do, yet he had no idea how long it would be before Orochimaru acted.

"You are sure, my boy? Deadly sure?" He gripped Naruto's shoulder, looking into his eyes for any uncertainties.

"Ow. Positive, old man. Now can you please let go?" Naruto was wincing, his hand trying to remove his old one.

He let go and Naruto sighed in relief, rubbing his shoulder. "Sorry. I am just a little panicked. Orochimaru... he..." he looked for the right words, "He is bad news. Terrible news."

Naruto just sat in silence, watching him. He didn't even move, obviously sensing how many thoughts were running through his weary head.

He sighed tiredly. He needed to think about this. He needed to plan. But, right now. He had other things to do.

"Naruto-kun," the blond looked at him. "What do you say we order some ramen and watch a film?"

Naruto just looked at him strangely for a second, wandering what to make of it. The blond, though, was won over by his favourite food.

"Sure. "

He smiled.

* * *

><p>The film had been interesting, he thought. It had been about a shinobi who had lost his memories, who then had to come to terms with the fact that he was a killer. He felt it explored the mind of a shinobi quite well, and didn't depict shinobi as evil beings and ruthless murders with no hearts.<p>

The shinobi had eventually understood that he killed to protect those he loved and decided he didn't regret his life, as he first had. Instead he had embraced it and died protecting his village from those who sort revenge.

Naruto had been rather taken with the film as well. He had practically cheered when the shinobi had stood up to protect those he loved, even though he was bleeding out from ever possible part of his body.

He had just finished washing up the bowls they had used for the ramen, slipping them back into their cupboards. Now he would have to talk with Naruto one last time before he left.

"Naruto, I have a few more things to tell you before I go home."

The blond looked at him, watching as he sat down on his chair once more.

"First of all, Mizuki is not dead, if that is what you believed. We found absolutely no trace of his or any other body near the explosion."

The young shinobi frowned at that, obviously confused. "He was right at the centre of the blast... how the hell did he escape?" He muttered to himself.

Hiruzen just shook his head. "What happened is irrelevant. All that matters is that he is most likely alive and now bearing a grudge against you." Naruto flinched at that. "Also, we have yet to discuss the shinobi that died last night due to your decisions."

Naruto paled, but sat more upright. The room seemed to still, even Naruto's breathing slowed. It appeared he was taking this very seriously, never taking his eyes off of his own.

"Three men died because of the decision you made. As such, I want you to never forget that decision nor the consequences of it. Their lives ended because of you."

He winced at the harsh words, but bowed his head in understanding. "I won't, old man. I promise," he swore sincerely.

"Good." He raised a hand. "Yugao, come here." He ordered.

With only the smallest of sounds, a woman appeared beside him. She was crouched, her long flowing purple hair covering most of her back. With a command, she stood up. Her white porcelain mask shone in the light, her black clothing and grey armour doing the opposite.

"Remove your mask, please." He asked firmly.

She looked at him for further conformation, to which he gave a slight inclination of his head. She removed her mask in an instant, revealing a beautiful young woman in her early twenties with soft pale skin, round petite features and dark brown eyes.

"Urm... hello, Yugao-san?" Naruto ventured, not sure what to say.

The old man nearly chuckled.

"Good evening, Naruto-kun. Please, just call me Yugao." She smiled warmly, shaking Naruto's hand.

Seeing them both smile and be so friendly, he regretted what he was about to do, but did not ere from his plan. He needed to show Naruto what he had caused.

"Yugao," he broke the silence, "You heard everything, I take it? What do you think of Naruto's actions? More importantly, do you blame him for the deaths for your three comrades?"

Naruto suddenly looked unsure, and looked at him in confusion. He must have been wondering why he had put him on the spot like this. It would get far worse.

Yugao was silent for a while, obviously making Naruto more and more nervous with every passing second. Eventually however, she did reply.

She shook her head. "I would say Naruto's actions weren't just, but that did not make him wrong either. Konoha has shown him far too much hate and pushed him away. For that, we are all to blame. Our treatment lead to his choices because he could no longer trust us and, as such, we caused the death of those shinobi. It was our fault, collectively."

She gently placed her hand on Naruto's, giving him a reassuring smile. Naruto instantly smiled back, glad to see someone take his side.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared to do something he knew he would never forget. "I take it you do not know who died, Naruto, Yugao?" He asked evenly.

"Nope. I only found out they had even died a couple of hours ago," Naruto responded honestly.

Yugao shook her head, "I have been on duty guarding Naruto-kun since the event last night. I haven't had time to check."

"I see. Then I shall tell you. Naruto, I want you to promise me you will never forget this. This, whilst Yugao exempts you from fault, was still caused by your decisions." He stood up as tall as he could, both shinobi looking to him. He had long since been able to summon an air of authority in an instant.

"I promise I will never forget their names, old man," he swore, an honest and sincere passion burning in his eyes.

_Forgetting their names is not what I mean, Naruto-kun. I am sorry for this, but it is a lesson you must learn, _he thought sadly. He truly didn't want to do this, but he knew it would teach him something valuable.

Yugao smiled at Naruto and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Obviously she didn't know what was coming, either.

_Forgive me, Yugao._

"Very well." He looked Naruto in the eyes. "The first to die was Chunin Takeshi Yamanaka. He was aged twenty-two, had a fiancé, a loving family and was soon to be a promoted Jounin. Second was Chunin Idate Yasatora, aged twenty-five, husband and loving father."

Naruto was looking down at his feet, obviously too ashamed to look up. He was an orphan himself, so to take a father away from his children was probably a great crime to him.

Yugao continued to offer him silent support, holding his shoulder.

Hiruzen let his chakra build within him, preparing for the final name. He really hoped they could forgive him.

"Last to die was Hayate Gecko, Yugao Uzuki's fiancé."

Naruto's head snapped up and he looked straight at Yugao, his eyes wide. With a slow trembling hand, he reached out to her.

"I... I'm so, so sorr-" he tried to apologise.

Yugao's hand snapped up and slapped him across the face. Her eyes were wide, her mouth agape, tears streaming down her cheeks, even her hand was shaking violently.

"Shut up. Hayate... Hayate wouldn't... he can't be... tell me he's not dead. Please." She broke down into pitiful sobs, begging him to tell her this was some kind of joke.

Unfortunately, life wasn't so kind.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, speaking softly to her. "Hayate Gecko died twenty-three hours ago via decapitation. He's most certainly dead, my dear. You have my condolences."

"No!" She screamed in a racking sob. "Hayate!"

Yugao fell to her knees, cradling her face in her hands as her body shook violently with each tearful howl of anguish. Her beautiful face was now stained with running mascara, her eyes red and puffy.

Naruto sat in disbelieving silence. The woman who was so kind to him, even exempting him from blame and taken it upon herself, was crying in agony because he had caused the death of the man she loved.

It was crushing him, the reality of it. Hiruzen could tell.

"Naruto. Remember _this_. Not the names. There are far too many names to remember once you reach my age. Instead, remember the pain your decisions can make. Whether we kill someone, or we cause the death of a comrade. Know that we cause someone to feel this pain."

And with that, he placed a hand on Yugao's shoulder and Shunshined to his office.

* * *

><p>Here you are, chapter 2.<p>

The key points to this chapter were:

Naruto's learning of Kage Bunshin. Some of you out there, like me, are information nuts and like to sometimes understand things better. As the Kage Bunshin is the most infamous technique in the Naruto verse, I decided to give it some more depth for those of you out their who like that kind of thing.

Also, I wanted to show Naruto's thought process, to show he is more thoughtful, intelligent, and better at constructing and de-constructing techniques. In other words, he's thinking more like a shinobi.

Hayate's early death and Mizuki's escape, Tora Seal, and working for Orochimaru.

Hayate was a plot device, nothing more, and I'll talk more about his death in a moment.

Mizuki, again, is a plot device. I used him to show some more of what Naruto is capable of and to add a future possible grudge match between the two. What's more, he has already gained the Tora seal and can easily be made into a more prominent character when used at the hands of Orochimaru, maybe as an officer.

Furthermore, I used him to show the more ruthless side of the shinobi world. He capitalized on Hayate's moment of weakness and killed him and two of his own comrades without regret. My story won't be all fairy tail and fluff, just so ya know.

Yugao and Hiruzen.

I used both of these to see Naruto from another perspective and to help further his character. Hiruzen showed his views as an understanding and world weary person, but also as a leader and a grandfather. He cared for Naruto and allowed me to show Naruto still has a friendly and happy-go-lucky personality, but also has a more dark and calculative side.

My story isn't fluffy, but neither is it dark.

Then, Yugao was the crux. She was everything Naruto wanted, yet he had hurt her badly. This was meant to be a lesson from Hiruzen... but how will Naruto take it?

Tune in again and find out, I'll see ya'll around.


End file.
